Return of Darkness: The Revenge of Meikai
by Kinaka Capri
Summary: The Mistress of Meikai wants revenge (against Yusuke) for the death of her father, King Yakumo. And she and her two servants are willing to go through any lengths to eliminate the Spirit Detectives. But the Tantei can handle it...right?
1. Hinageshi's Message

Hi, I'm Kinaka Capri, and this is my first YYH story. It's based heavily on the movie (Bonds of Fire), so if you haven't seen that…I'll attempt to make it as clear as possible. There aren't really any couples in this story (if you're looking for that sort of thing there's probably some random hinting of them, though), but if people actually like this story, then there should be many random couplings in the sequel. Which I hope to do, in any case. So…sit back and enjoy the incredibly neurotic show!!! BOOYAH!!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Yu Yu Hakusho anime, movie, or manga. I do, however, own several Shonen Jump magazines with the YYH manga IN it, and the YYH movie DVD…which I lost…I'm convinced that my DVD player ate it. *sniffle* Stupid DVD player…And I guess I own my three random Meikai OC's…I don't really WANT to, though…

Chapter One: Return of the Netherworld! Hinageshi's Message

Drip. Drip. Drip. The steady drip of water, almost like a mantra, echoed throughout the dark halls. The pool into which it went rippled slightly with every drop, crimson like blood in the flickering firelight. Directly across from this pool were three silent figures: one cloaked in shadow, the only visible feature the sword it carried; one with silver hair, and a gleaming gold medallion; the last seated on an onyx throne, amethyst eyes peering keenly through the thick shadows.

            The figure on the throne spoke at last, her voice echoing hollowly throughout the empty hall, the noise louder than that of the water. "He's dead then, correct?" The one with the sword bowed its head. "Yes, my Lady. King Yakumo has met his demise." The Throned One frowned. "After all the effort he gave to bring our world back into existence? After the battle with Enma, ruler of the Spirit World? He is defeated…by a mortal child?" Unsure of how to answer, neither Sword nor Medallion replied. The Throned One spoke again, venom in her voice. "What is his name?" "Urameshi," chirruped Medallion. "Urameshi Yusuke. Fourteen years old, Spirit Detective of that little Koenma, and one of the few to return from the Spirit Realm. Keeper of extraordinary power, for a human." "He STILL shouldn't have been able to kill King Yakumo!" shouted their violet-eyed mistress, slamming a fist down on the throne. Medallion gave an almost imperceptible flinch, and bowed her head. Sword spoke up for her. "He was not alone, Lady Sadako. He was aided by another Spirit Detective, a pair of demons, two Spirit Guides, and…the Power Sphere." The Throned One raised her head, interest peaked. "The Sphere…it remains on Earth?" "Yes, Lady Sadako," chorused the other two. Sadako gave a spectral smile. "Very well, then. It is to the Human Realm that we shall go." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "My father WILL have his revenge."

~~~~~~~

            Yusuke gave a huge yawn and stretched back in his seat. "Man, what a day." Botan gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yusuke, you are SO lazy." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Really now, we haven't done anything at all today." "Exactly! Do you know how tiring it can get doing nothing?" Botan sweatdropped. "Spoken like a true slacker." Kuwabara leaned over in his chair. "Yeah, Urameshi, isn't there anything you can do?" Yusuke opened an eye. "I can kick your ass pretty well, does that count?" Kuwabara's eye twitched. "Why I oughta…" Both Keiko and Yukina stared, sweatdropping slightly, as the two boys went into an all-out brawl. "What did that Koenma kid of yours call us here for anyway, Botan?" asked Shizuru casually, only half watching her little brother and his fellow Spirit Detective beat the crap out of one another. The Spirit Guide looked over at her. "Hmm? Oh, I'm not really sure. He was awfully vague about it." Keiko tore her eyes away from her battling love interest long enough to fix the blue-haired girl with an inquisitive gaze. "Speaking of meeting, shouldn't Hiei and Kurama be here by now?"

            As if on cue, the door slid open. "I apologize for being late," said Kurama formally. Hiei slunk in behind him, looking a great deal more sullen than usual. His mood seemed to lighten, however, when he noticed Yukina settled in a corner (fortunately a fair distance from Kuwabara). His eyes then shifted to shoot a scornful glare at a certain duo. Yusuke currently had Kuwabara in a headlock. Shortly after, he retreated to perch in a nearby windowsill in true Hiei fashion. Kurama, on the other hand, took a seat next to Botan, who, despite herself, blushed lightly. Kurama just had that sort of effect on people. Fortunately, the boy in question failed to notice that.

            "No need to worry, Kurama," said Shizuru absently. "No one's shown up yet anyway." Her eyes once again turned to Botan. "Are you SURE you haven't forgotten anything?" The ferrywoman looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, now that you mention it, I think he said to do something the moment everyone got here. It was pretty important, actually. It had something to do with windows…I think…um…" Her eyes widened suddenly, and she rushed over to the sliding glass door. "Omigosh! I'm SO sorry--" "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!" screeched a voice outside. Botan leapt away from the door immediately, and everyone within a foot of her dove to the side. Yusuke turned his head just in time to see a blur of red, white, and brown come careening into the room. The blur narrowly managed to avoid colliding with the wall before accidentally rolling over once and coming to a stop.

            The cause of the ruckus was a rather frazzled young girl now holding the oar that she had been riding only moments before. The girl looked a little younger than the rest of the gang, seeming to be only about 12 or so, and she was nearly level with Hiei in height. She wore a very loose white long-sleeved top with the sleeves tied up with purple bows, along with blood red pants that were also too loose held up by a red ribbon, and a white headband around her head. Her eyes were an innocent ocean blue, and her hair, though not quite as dark a red as Kurama's, was down to her shoulders, except for two loose strands that floated freely on the top of her head. The girl banished her oar and turned angrily to Botan.

            "What was that?! You almost had me go splat into the freaking window!!!" she yelled irately. Botan rubbed the back of her head, her violet eyes sheepish. "Well, I've had a lot on my mind recently and everything…" "A lot on your mind? Who takes over your shifts while you're helping these guys out? Do you know the amount of stress I'm under? And what with recent events, I'm surprised that I haven't dropped dead on the spot. I haven't been this freaked since--" The girl suddenly noticed the semi-amused stares of the rest of the room's occupants and stopped ranting, looking rather embarrassed of herself. "Well, this is a bit of a change in personality from last time," commented Kurama, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Hinageshi, isn't it?" "At your service," said the girl with a deep bow and a smile. "What's the news anyway, Hinageshi?" asked Botan curiously. "Lord Koenma sounded quite apprehensive, but he wouldn't tell me a thing." The smile faded from Hinageshi's face. "The Netherworld has returned."

            There was a moment of silence. "You're joking, right?" said Yusuke flatly. "I mean, so that Yakumo guy didn't exactly die, come on…" Hinageshi fiddled around with her hair. "Um…well…you see, that's the problem. He DID die." More silence, then… "WHAT?!!" "But you can't kill a god," protested Kuwabara. "He's like, all GODLY and everything." "A brilliant observation, Kuwabara, and by the way, if we no longer need to worry about him, then what is the problem?" Hiei said coolly. Hinageshi quit fussing around with her hair and whipped out her little book of history. "Well, you know how Lord Koenma is the son of King Enma and also the judge of Reikai? Instead of a son, King Yakumo of Meikai had a daughter. And her name was--" "Koyakumo," snickered Yusuke. "—Sadako," Hinageshi finished, frowning slightly. "And although she was locked away in the darkness like her father, she too managed to escape. And we're pretty sure that Meikai had a mirror image of the system of Reikai, which means that she's brought the two remaining minions of the Netherworld with her." "Two? I was only aware of the three demon gods, and we defeated them last time," spoke up Kurama. Next to him, Botan shifted uncomfortably. "Er, well, there's a good explanation for that," she said nervously. "Reikai is run by a number of key people. King Enma, ruler of the Spirit World; Lord Koenma, the Judge; and the three Spirit Gods, meant to keep balance throughout the realm." "Okay, so that's Yakumo, Sadako, Larry, Curly, and Mo," snapped Yusuke impatiently. "Who are the two that are missing?"

At this question, there were several different reactions throughout the room. Kurama and Shizuru both looked moderately amused, Kuwabara looked even more clueless about the matter than Yusuke, Keiko and Yukina looked undecided, Hiei looked exasperated, and Botan and Hinageshi both looked scandalized. Botan summoned her oar and smashed it over Yusuke's head. "US, YOU MORON!!!! The FERRY GIRLS!!!!" The boy went down hard. "I don't see what we have to worry about. I mean, judging from you two and Koenma it doesn't look like a really big problem…" Shizuru said, having never really encountered any of the Meikai beings. "The Netherworld was once the complete INVERSE of the Spirit World," Hinageshi explained patiently. "Meaning that Sadako is reckless and will intervene at any instant, and that the two Guides are demons and most likely powerful ones at that." "And now they're in Ningenkai? Great," sighed Botan. "What are they after here?" asked Kurama curiously. "Revenge." The speaker wasn't one of the ferry girls, but Hiei. Hinageshi nodded slightly. "That, and the Meikai Power Sphere." At this, even Botan looked surprised. "Well, if Yakumo was destroyed, shouldn't that have been destroyed with him?" "Lord Koenma looked into the matter and apparently, it reformed. I guess it takes a lot more effort to destroy the power source of a world than it does to kill its leader." There was a murmur of somber consent around the room. 

"So, all we need to do is find the Power Sphere and stop a princess and her two ferry girl lackeys? That doesn't sound so hard! Just leave it to me, Kuwabara Kazuma!" announced Kuwabara suddenly, gung-ho once again. Hiei gave an inaudible but derisive snort. Kuwabara grabbed Yukina's hand. "I swear by my love for my Yukina that I will this world safe for you and everyone else!" Yukina giggled a little, warmed but confused by the spirit detective's antics. Hiei's hand, which had been resting close to his sword hilt, now began twitching slightly. Shizuru, Kurama, Hinageshi, and Keiko all took in the scene with quiet amusement (Kurama and Shizuru more than Hinageshi and Keiko, because they were aware of Hiei's true relationship with Yukina). Botan was snickering uncontrollably, and Yusuke might have as well, except that he was lying unconscious (and quite forgotten) on the floor from Botan's mighty Oar of Impending Doom. The sudden change in atmosphere broke the tension, and for the moment, while Kuwabara began reciting an ode to Yukina and Hiei closed his eyes and counted to ten (then twenty…then thirty…then forty…) and Botan (and Keiko, actually) began plotting what to do with the KO'ed Yusuke, the Reiki Tentei forgot pressures of their newest task. Perhaps that's for the best. They'll have a great deal to worry about in less than an hour's time… (A/N Oooh…foreshadowing…I suck at foreshadowing…But I love ellipsis! ^_^)

~~~~~~~

Sadako surveyed the city calmly, taking in every building, every person in the street, and every loose demon romping around. "So. This is Ningenkai." "Looks fun to me," said Medallion happily. (A/N I'll name the two random lackeys properly in the next chapter) She sighed contentedly, her golden eyes shining with delight. "So many opportunities, so many people to deceive, so many things that can go up in flames! Oh, I'm going to have a good time here. May I have a look around, Lady Sadako? Pleeeeeaaase?" The Lady of the Netherworld gave a slight chuckle. "Save your pyromania for a little later, my dear ferry girl. Right now, we need to lure out the Spirit Detectives. I'll leave that to you two. I have a little visit to make." She nodded to the two Demon Guides (A/N if they're the opposite of Spirit Guides, that's what you'd call them, right?), and abruptly vanished. Medallion and Sword exchanged a glance. "So, I take it you have a plan, as usual?" inquired Medallion. "Of course," replied her partner. "You will have your fun a little earlier than you expected. I know just the place for you to burn that's sure to draw out the Reiki Tentei." Medallion stared at her impatiently. "Well, what are we waiting for?" "Very well." And the two figures vanished, headed in the direction of a certain temple…(A/N More crappy foreshadowing and ellipsis again…fun! ^__^)

*Falls over* Gads, I can't write. I'm full of clichés and weird stuff, so watch out for that. I don't really know where the meant-to-be-light scene at the end of the Spirit Detective sequencey thingy came from. I have a tendency to write randomness. Oh well. Watch out for that too. And the suspense and mystery that I attempt. Hopefully, I'll actually succeed this time…Until next time, ciao!!!

PS: Review Review Review!!!! I have an inferiority complex, make me feel better about myself!!!!!!! Tanku!!!!!! *suddenly realizes she sounds either sugar high or extremely whiny* Eh, why not disillusion them right away? Ciao! Again!


	2. The Ferry Girls of Meikai and the Death ...

Hi, Kinaka Capri here! *dances around* Happy days are here again! I found my DVD of the Yu Yu Hakusho movie!!!!! My DVD player didn't eat it! And I found the remote for the DVD player at the same time!!! But anyways… The world is round, the grass is green, the stars are bright. And my story takes place some time after the Dark Tournament. I'd be more specific except that the only YYH I really watch is on Cartoon Network (aka the dubbed type) and while I've been finding random information other places, I still want to go with what I know for sure. New info would be helpful, though. And in this chapter, somebody gets SHOT! Well, not really, but someone does die. Oooh man, I wish I didn't have to kill that person, but it was necessary for them to die for this story. *sob* I feel so baaaad!!!! Hopefully it won't look really lame the way that the person was killed…I'll stop taunting you now…

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH, do own random Netherworld characters that will get names in this chapter, and I may or may not own this storyline. I don't THINK it's been done before, in any case.

PS: Domo arigato to yuki san, my first (and probably only ever X_X) reviewer for this story! I wuv you!!!!

*looks up* Blast it, this author's note was long.

Chapter Two: The Ferry Girls of Meikai and the Death of a Friend

            Medallion admired her work with satisfaction, watching the smoke curl upward from the blazing temple. "I hope you're content now," commented Sword calmly. The silver-haired demoness nodded happily as her fellow ferrier (A/N That's not even a word. :-P) proceeded to wipe off the blade of her (was it a her? It's hard to tell with the outfit) sword. Medallion frowned slightly. "You're sure this will work, right? I don't want to know what Sadako will do to us if we delay any longer." Sword fixed her with an unnervingly intense gaze. "I'm quite sure. And if we cannot take on their numbers, I am sure that I can resurrect a few friends to help." Medallion's eyes lit up again. "Oooh, can we do that first? Toying with the enemy is ever so much exciting." Sword rolled her (its?) eyes. "You have too much fun with sadism. Very well. But you shall have to distract them. It won't be easy." "It'll be enjoyable, though." "Fine. Have it your way. But I won't be responsible if they kill you before it happens." "Yes, yes, I know. Men tend to underestimate girls, though. This will be interesting. Ah, to see the Demon Gods again. I'm actually starting to miss those three morons anyway." "Meikai forbid." "Tell me about it."

~~~~~~~

            The randomness of the Reikai Tantei was broken up when Yusuke decided to rejoin the land of the living before Keiko and Botan could cause any lasting damage, Kuwabara ran out of words that rhymed for his ode, and Hiei very nearly carried out his intention of decapitating the formerly mentioned red-head. Hinageshi dusted off her pants and stood up. "We've wasted enough time, already! We'd only waited a few minutes the first time, and remember what happened? We shouldn't let them make the first move." Botan smiled playfully at her. "First of all, I don't remember because I wasn't conscious for even half of it, and second of all, when did you become a general?" The Spirit Guide blushed lightly, and Botan could swear she saw Hinageshi's eyes dart toward Yusuke. Shizuru and Keiko stood as well, both looking apologetic. "Sorry kids, but I've got work today," Shizuru announced calmly. "If you need me to help pummel some random demon, Kazuma's got my cell number." "My mom is sick again," muttered Keiko quietly. "I nearly missed this. Sorry I can't stay." Both bowed and exited the room, leaving only the usual five, Hinageshi, and Yukina, who stared at each other in silence. Botan suddenly shot up. "Okay, team! We've got to hit the enemy, and hit them hard! Take no prisoners! Women and children will not be spared! There's no such thing as a casualty!" The rest of the group stared at her with looks varying from 'funny, but what is she talking about?' (Yukina) to 'stupid ferry girl…what the hell does she think she's doing, anyway?' (Hiei). Hinageshi was frowning again. "Stop mocking me…" Botan's face lit up in a smile and she opened her mouth to laugh. Of course, that's when it decided to happen.

            The entire group froze, a shadow passing over the room, leaving uncertainty in its wake. "What…just happened…?" asked Yukina, her face pale and worried. Yusuke was frowning. He'd felt something like this before, something exactly like this. He shot over to the glass door and yanked it open. Black smoke drifted lazily through the sky, located in what was unmistakably the direction of Genkai's temple. 'No…not again…not after I worked so hard to get her back…it CAN'T be!' Without another word, he raced out the door, closely pursued by all except for Hiei, Botan, and Hinageshi, who left using their own individual means of transport. He ran, barely looking where he was going, only knowing that he had to make it in time. He couldn't be too late, not a second time. His heart wouldn't be able to take it. Yusuke lost track of time, making it seem like forever when he reached the shrine, yet only a second. Botan, Hinageshi, and Hiei had already reached the sight and were watching in somber silence. Yusuke could not believe what he saw there.

            The entire temple was ablaze, the brilliant red flames roaring loudly and reaching greedily for the clouds. Many parts of the building had already been reduced to ash, the rest crumbling feebly under the fire's wrath. Many of the trees were burning as well, giant columns of flame against a charred black ground. The heat was stifling, even from where the Reikai Tantei stood. Only Hiei seemed to be unaffected by it. "'Ware the wrath of the Netherworld," murmured Hinageshi quietly. "For ye be facing threats from every end, and It knows what ye cherish the most." Yusuke's legs collapsed beneath him, and the rest of the group looked grim. 'She wasn't in there, not Genkai. She's too quick to be fooled by something like that. They're just a pair of stupid ferry girls, after all. So what if they're Meikai demons, how could they do something like THIS?' "How could they do something like this?" Botan unknowingly echoed, her voice cracking slightly. Her eyes turned angry. "They're a disgrace to ferriers everywhere! What's your blasted problem, huh?! You wanted us to come, so here we are! WHICH ONE OF YOU DID THIS?!!!" "'Fraid that would be my fault, dearie," said a playfully mocking voice from among the flames. There was a flicker of light, and then the first of the two remaining servants of the Netherworld faded into view.

            The demoness rested casually on an iron gray oar. She was very tall, with a willowy, graceful body. Her elegant silver hair was long, and reached all the way down to her lower back, shimmering slightly, and two similarly colored ears stuck out on the top of her head. She had a pretty face and perpetually mocking smile, along with golden eyes that seemed to glow with the promise of mischief…or suffering. She wore a purple kimono that was reminiscent of the one that Botan wore, except short to the point where it may have been indecent. Her feet and legs were bare, dangling off the oar in a careless fashion. A golden medallion hung from her neck, and her silver fox tail was curled tightly around her body. (A/N I've been trying to stress this, but just imagine a female Youko Kurama in a different outfit, kay?) The ferry girl gave them a sassy wink.

            "Sooo, I guess that makes you the infamous Reikai Tantei. Lady Sadako isn't too happy with you." "YOU KILLED GENKAI, YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!!!" screamed Botan, tears rolling down her face, but whether from anger or sadness was unsure. "There are always casualties in war," came the reply. "You killed our king, we killed your mentor. Let's call it even, shall we?" Her eyes searched the group, going from each face to the next. "Extraordinary team…a little koorime girl, two spiritual humans, a fire apparition, two ferry girls, and…well, what do we have here?" she said, her eyes glowing strangely as they turned to Kurama. "A fellow kitsune?" Her smiled widened. "This will be fun indeed. But time is of the essence, and I need to get going. If you wish to know my name, it is Hiyoru. I am a Silver Fox of the fire and illusion variety, and my mistress wants you dead. I think that covers it, don't you?" "REI GUN!!!" Hiyoru cried out in surprise, tumbling to the side on her oar before righting herself again. "Impatient little ningen, aren't you?" She landed in a nearby tree (it was burning) and banished her oar. To the dismay of the Reikai Tantei, she looked childishly annoyed, rather than worried. She folded her arms behind her head, leaned against the tree, and sighed. "Hmph, well, if you really want to fight me that badly…" She reached into her silver hair, and pulled out, to the surprise of everyone, a match. A flick of her finger, though, and the match was lit. She snapped her wrist. "Fire Whip!" A whip, similar to Kurama's but made of flickering flames, appeared suddenly. Hiyoru smiled. "Let the games begin."

            Yusuke snarled slightly and got ready for a second Rei Gun. Hiei's katana was out, and for once, he looked to Yusuke for a signal. Kurama's eyes were dimmed and suspicious, and he too had out a weapon—a red rose was held in his right hand. Hinageshi and Botan sat close by on their oars, ready to provide any sort of assistance that they could. Even Yukina, biting her lip slightly, stood preparation to heal the injured. A familiar yellow aura was glowing in Kuwabara's hand, but he alone looked unsure. "Uh, should we really do this, Urameshi? I mean, she's evil and all, but she's still a gir--" "Do NOT give me that crap right now, Kuwabara!" shouted the angry teen. "I really don't give a damn if the crazy bitch is a girl, she killed Genkai and now she's gonna pay!" "Heads up," said Kurama quietly. Unnoticed by the others, it was still a rose held in his hand, rather than a whip. As one, the entire team suddenly looked at the tree branch. As predicted, Hiyoru was no longer there. Then, taking to heart what Kurama had just said, they simultaneously looked upward…just in time to see Hiyoru's whip snap in the direction of Kuwabara. "Rei Ken!" yelped the boy, barely stopping the attack. The Fire Whip wrapped around the Spirit Sword and yanked it out of his hands, but the real damage had been avoided. Hiyoru landed a few feet back from where they stood, twirling the sword absently in her hand. "Weakness gets you nowhere, kid." The sword winked out.

            Yusuke charged forward again, his fist glowing blue. "Shotgun!" A score of spirit bullets rained down on the Demon Guide, who hastily raised a shield while leaping nimbly out of the way. Before the attack was even finished, though, Yusuke was crying out in pain as the crimson whip wrapped around his wrist, burning it. He grabbed the rest of the whip in an effort to free himself, ignoring the agony of the flames. Hiyoru smirked. "As if that's going to work…?!" She gave a yelp of alarm as the Spirit Detective pulled the whip from her grasp in the same way she'd done to Kuwabara only moments before. The Fire Whip vanished the moment it left its master's hand, leaving Yusuke only a livid red burn on his left arm. After casting a furtive glance at the dark Ferry Girl, Yukina hurried over to examine the damage of the wound. Hiyoru pouted again, looking nothing more like a toddler that had just been denied her favorite candy. "Huh, so I HAVE underestimated you…by a great deal, I'll say." She gave them a sullen glare. "Work, work, work. That's all I ever do. Even when I want to have fun. Humph." Now she looked briefly thoughtful. "Well, I guess there's no more holding back…Catch me if you can!"

            A second later, a new Fire Whip was held in her hand, and she did an easy leap in the direction of Hiei this time. The other fire demon rose to the challenge, trading blow for blow, before Hiyoru made an odd gesture with her hands and turned to Kuwabara. Knowing the carrot-top's code of honor better than any of the others, Yusuke immediately went to the other boy's aid, his arm partially healed, courtesy of Yukina. Of the four fighters, Kurama alone held back, the rose now hanging loosely at his fingertips. The former thief held back for two reasons. First of all, his attacks would be equally useless to Hiei's in this situation. Fire demons are not only unaffected by the fire of others, but particularly skilled against plant-using demons. And second of all, the other Silver Fox unsettled him. Her careless attitude, her position as Ferry Girl, and finally but most importantly, her offhand remark about illusionary skills. Kurama had met a surprisingly small amount of illusionists in his long lifetime, but all had been dangerous. All that used their skills properly, that is. And being trapped in the darkness for a few millennia had probably given Hiyoru a great deal of time to practice.

            Kurama's musings were suddenly interrupted by a dismayed cry from Yukina. He glanced over. Yusuke and Kuwabara remained fighting with Hiyoru (or rather, Yusuke fought Hiyoru while Kuwabara screamed angrily on the sidelines, waving around his Rei Ken), but Hiei was rather uncharacteristically doing nothing. Yukina was next to him, tugging his arm urgently, but the other demon did not stir. Kurama's eyes turned for a moment toward Botan and Hinageshi, but both were still watching the battle, and did not notice Hiei's plight. The kitsune decided to ignore the fight for the moment, and help his unresponsive friend. He made his way over to Hiei, the ground crunching from under his feet due to all the ash. Yukina had gone from simply tugging on his sleeve to grabbing his shoulders and shaking him violently. Still no reaction. The ice apparition was almost in tears. Sometimes, Kurama wondered if deep down in her heart, Yukina truly knew the identity of her twin, and was simply waiting for him to announce it. This was one of those moments.

            "Get the HELL out of the WAY, baka!" screeched Yusuke to Kuwabara. Not only was he annoyed by his partner's lack of cooperation, but also he still boiled in anger from the deed that he believed Hiyoru had done. "Rei Gun! Rei Gun Rei Gun REI GUN!" With the grace of a gold-medal gymnast, the Fox Youkai flipped and jumped out of the path of the Spirit Blasts. Not one of them hit her, instead plowing on into the trees, knocking more over to fall on what little remained of the temple. This definitely would never have been Yusuke's choice of a battlefield. "Hi Ken!" (A/N pronounced 'Hee Ken', I think. Eh, it would Japanese for 'Fire Sword', as far as I know. Urg, I'm terrible with languages.) The boy could only gape in surprise as the demoness summoned a crimson sword similar to Kuwabara's. A quick slash to the stomach set his shirt on fire, but he managed to avoid getting the skin pierced. Yusuke quickly threw off the shirt in alarm, attempting to stamp out the flames while simultaneously keeping an eye on Hiyoru. This didn't work very well, and he was forced to relinquish it when she made a sudden dash toward him, sword out. "Don't hurt her too much, Urameshi!" cried Kuwabara from the sidelines. "Remember, she's a girl!" "Oh, you seem so sure about that," shot back Yusuke, dodging several more swings. "About as sure as you were about Miyuki!" At this, Sarayashiki Junior High's second toughest man lapsed into a thoughtful silence, remembering the cross-dressing demon all too well. The other former juvenile delinquent decided to put those moments of blessed release to good use. He dug his feet into the ground. 'The sword takes up more of her energy than the whip did…Her Youki is a lot lower than before. I wonder if she can still block the same…' Yusuke raised his fist again. "SHOTGUN!!!"

            Yukina turned in desparation toward Kurama, having heard the kitsune approach. "What did she DO to him?" whimpered the koorime softly. "He wouldn't even respond to my Ice Ki, let alone my healing powers. He's just standing there. And his eyes…" Kurama frowned deeply, then grabbed Hiei's chin and tilted his face in his direction. The kitsune inhaled sharply. Hiei's face was arranged in an even more deadpan, emotionless expression than was normal for him. His lips were moving silently, though whether in a chant or something else, Kurama couldn't tell. His eyes had become a cloudy crimson, though quite not the mirror-blank tone of one that was soulless. They were turned toward Kurama, though he knew that Hiei was not actually staring at him, or even through him, as was custom in such an absentminded state. He seemed to be staring more into himself, at something no one else could see, something within the realms of his own mind. It was rather unnerving. "Do you know what's wrong with him?" Kurama jumped, startled, and found himself staring into the very much alive, apprehensive, but similarly colored  eyes of Yukina. He sighed. "It's an illusion spell of some sort, a very complex one. I certainly can't break it. She seems to have trapped him within his own mind." His face darkened. "Hiyoru must be extremely powerful, to master the mind of a Jaganshi." He turned briefly to look at Yusuke. "She's only toying with us…"

            "SHOTGUN!!!" screamed Yusuke. To his immense satisfaction, Hiyoru was blasted off her feet with a single keening cry. She was down on the ground and skidded back a few feet, then staggered up again, looking a bit worse for wear. "Not bad…Detective…" she said, wiping a bit of blood away from her mouth. "But contend with this! Fire Wheel!" She swung the Hi Ken in a wide arc, the flame sword becoming a blur of crimson and gold. A ribbon of flame came off of the sword, twisting gracefully in every direction, before (for lack of a better word) exploding outward. Yusuke summoned a bit of his Reiki to use as a shield, but he was nevertheless blasted back painfully into a tree. Quite a few of the others had to duck as well. "Rei Gun!" Hiyoru leapt a few feet to the side, looking bored. "Getting awfully repetitive, aren't we?" she drawled. "You want repetitive? I'll give you freaking repetitive!" Her eyes once again widened in shock as Yusuke suddenly appeared in front of her and punched her in the face. The punch had been backed by a good bit of Spirit Energy, thus knocking her effectively to the ground. "Grr…" Yusuke yelped in surprise as she struck out with a leg and swept him off his feet, landing him on the ground as well. 'Kuso…she's really tough, this one…"

            Kurama was now watching the fight as well, while supporting Hiei with one arm. Surprisingly enough, the fire Youkai didn't really need any support, even in this condition, but Kurama would not take chances. 'Why won't she use the same attack she used on Hiei on Yusuke? Something isn't right here…' He felt uneasy, almost as though someone were watching. Several feet away, he heard Kuwabara shout a warning. "Hey guys, I'm not really sure, but I think I felt some pretty powerful Youki right now! It's gone, though. It was really fast!" The kitsune frowned deeply. 'It must be the other Ferry Girl…' He gasped in surprise as something black and quick brushed against his face. He looked around and didn't see anything, but now he was on his guard. '…What…?' His eyes narrowed as he detected a scent, both familiar and not. "Yusuke! Kuwabara! Watch out, it's a soul stealer!" Kurama saw the confused looks on their faces and sighed. "A demon that deals with black magic! And from the looks of it, she's Shinobi material! Just be careful!" Hiyoru's eyes widened in shock. "How did you…? Your sense of smell is still potent in that human body?" She turned to one side. "Katana!" she snapped. "The jig is up! They know you're here! Now help me out already!"

 "As you wish," said a dark voice, neither really male nor female. Out from the shadows (Kurama was surprised that there still WERE any shadows at all—the entire place was still up in flames) came a figure in black. Katana's gender was unidentifiable by either voice or appearance. She (Kurama assumed it was a 'she'—after all, they were Ferry GIRLS) was dressed in a ninja-type outfit, with a kimono-type top and loose black pants, along with a black sash. Like Hiyoru, her feet were bare, and she wore a cowl on her face that hid all but her eyes, which were a stony gray color. A broadsword of interesting make hung in its scabbard on her waist.

            Kuwabara, on the other hand, did not share Kurama's suspicions on Katana's gender, and assumed it was a boy. In which case, he wouldn't mind fighting. "Okay, buddy," he announced to Katana, summoning back his Rei Ken. "I don't know what you were doing lurking around there, but I'm not gonna let you people try and take over the Human World again!" Katana didn't look impressed. "Humph. As though a pathetic human such as yourself could stop me." Kuwabara growled. "Oh yeah? Take this! YAAAAAH!!!" He came running at his cloaked opponent, sword held high. Katana looked bored. "Hardly worth the effort." He (A/N when it's more or less from Kuwabara's POV, Katana will be a boy. When it's Kurama's, Katana will be a girl) moved ever so slightly to the side, and with inhuman speed, whipped out his sword. He could block Kuwabara's onslaught with one hand. The two broke apart, and then Kuwabara came charging again. "Tactless," Katana murmured softly. Like a shadow he moved, avoiding the Rei Ken entirely and slicing the boy in the arm. The redhead cried out in pain, then turned back to the Shinobi with fiery eyes. "Alright, that's IT you bastard!" With a sudden passion that surprised Katana, he whipped the Rei Ken around and nearly got a clear shot at his opponent. Katana just barely blocked it, and for a moment the two merely glared at one another.

            Yusuke winced. Even this early on in the battle, he could tell that it wasn't looking good for their side. Katana against Kuwabara was like pitting Hiei against…well…Kuwabara. The demon clearly had the upper hand in strength, speed, and most of all, experience. Kuwabara had the heart, but Yusuke wasn't so sure about the skill. "Ahem, aren't you forgetting about someone?" Hiyoru smiled at him. Yusuke gave her a cocky grin. "Nah, I just figured I'd give you a breather." "How quaint. I was thinking the same thing. Have you quite caught up?" "You bet. Shotgun!" Again, Hiyoru bit the dust. She didn't even bother to get up, either. "Tomoru Bi!" ('Burning flame'…well, burning fire, but I have a very limited vocabulary and it's clichéd either way) "CRAP!" yelled Yusuke, jumping away from the sudden inferno. "How many friggin' fire attacks can a Youkai have?!" "You'd be surprised," Hiyoru replied with a happy sort of grin, dusting the ash off of her kimono. "Fire Whip!" 'Dammit dammit dammit!' thought Yusuke, dodging the snake-like weapon. He lifted a hand. "Rei Gun!" Hiyoru proved to be as nimble as he. 'Standoff. Wonderful.'

            Kuwabara wasn't faring too well, either. He had a few nasty gashes on him by now, whereas only one or two minor wounds hindered Katana. "If this is the best the Spirit World can do, its standards are slipping quite drastically." "You're really getting on my nerves, you know!" "Perfect. Mutual feelings abound." A flash of yellow light. Counter. Silver light. Countered as well. Parry, slash, block. Kuwabara was panting heavily. He couldn't deny it any longer: Katana was good. He didn't seem to see swordplay as a skill so much as an art. He moved with an unparalleled grace, the likes of which the carrot-top had never seen before. Like a shadow. But then again, Katana was supposedly a Shinobi. Kuwabara dug his feet into the ground. "Sword, extend!" Katana's eyes widened in shock. Kuwabara grinned savagely as the demon staggered dangerously, crimson seeping through his shirt. "How's that for standards, huh?" Katana chuckled softly. "Not bad…for a human. But I'm afraid you'll have to do much better than that."

            Yusuke's frustration only fueled his anger. Hiyoru was slipping. Her strikes were becoming less measured, her movements less nimble. Yusuke was severely drained as well, though he ignored it. "You…listen…here…Hiyoru," he panted, glaring at the Youko. "I'm…not…stopping…till…you're DEAD!" "Don't…be…stupid…" gasped Hiyoru, glaring right back. She knelt momentarily, looking exhausted. "Tell you what kid," she said slowly. "We're both simply going to kill OURSELVES at this rate. No more Spirit Energy. Just one on one. What do you say?" Yusuke grinned. She obviously hadn't done her homework. There was nothing more refreshing to him than beating the crap out of an opponent Old School Style. "I say that's a pretty good idea." Hiyoru returned his smile, mercury hair falling all over her face. "Me too." Yusuke didn't even give her a chance to get up before landing a right hook directly in her face. The Youko cried out in pain, rubbing her cheek and wincing. "You really are rather impressive. But…" She gave a wicked smile. "You don't stand a chance against the Netherworld." She suddenly whipped out a cruel looking dagger and pressed it to his throat, before he could even blink. Yusuke's eyes widened in horror. "Checkmate, ningen."

            Kuwabara was trading blows with Katana again. The shinobi didn't seem to be phased by the wound. But Kuwabara was. And he had a great many more wounds than Katana. Kuwabara felt jolts of pain run through him for every time he parried one of Katana's swings. 'Well,' he thought with a slight sweatdrop, 'this would be a really crappy way to die. And I won't get to say good-bye to my Yukina! NOOOOO!!!!!!' But whatever Kuwabara's mind (or heart) said, his body had had enough. His arms dropped loosely to his sides, his sword flickering out. Katana's eyes gleamed in triumph. He swung the sword in a wide arc, clearly intending to decapitate his opponent—

            The sword stopped within a hair's-breadth of his neck. Several feet away, Hiyoru had suddenly drawn away from Yusuke. Hiyoru stood up as though nothing had happened, looking thoughtful. "Huh. Weird time for a summoning." She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Y'oh well. What can you do? Another time, Yusuke," she added to the semi-conscious teen. She stuck her dagger back in her sash and summoned her oar. "Kata, c'mon, you know how Sadako-sama gets when we're late!" She waved happily at the Reikai Tantei, and a moment later both Ferry Girls had vanished.

Yusuke fell to his knees, energy spent. "You COWARDS!!!" he screamed. "Get the hell BACK here! I'm not finished with you!" Kuwabara knelt as well, panting hard. Both Botan and Hinageshi headed over, looking worried. Botan squeezed Yusuke's shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. I wish I could do something about it." He suddenly turned to her, eyes desperate. "She's not dead, right?" She looked startled. "What?" "She's not dead. They were bluffing, weren't they? She just went out for a walk right now." Botan bit her lip, realizing that he was talking about Genkai. "Yusuke…I'm sorry. I don't know. I haven't sensed her Ki in any way shape or form. I suppose that no news is good news, but… That sword. Katana's sword. I don't remember the name, but I recognize it. It's a sword of death, and very powerful. So I can't really say whether she used it to mask Genkai's Ki, or just her soul." She carefully left out the sword's main ability: to steal souls. She didn't want Yusuke to have to deal with that, too. Kuwabara glanced over at Yusuke as well. Hinageshi was busy bandaging his arm. "Yo, Urameshi. You alright?" Yusuke just mumbled something unintelligible. Then his head snapped around to stare at Kurama, who was approaching the other four supporting Hiei, with Yukina following close behind. "Kurama! What the hell were you and Hiei doing anyway? The only thing you bothered to do was give us a warning!"

            The kitsune bowed his head. "I apologize, Yusuke, but my powers could not stand up against Hiyoru's. Plants do not fare very well against fire, and against a pure Silver Fox such as herself, I wouldn't stand even a fighting chance. And as for Katana, I had a bit of a handicap by then." "Then what was his problem?" Yusuke asked, indicating Hiei. "He puts in a few shots, then just stands there!" Kurama sighed. "That, I'm afraid to say, was my handicap. Only one fight in, and we are already a man down." Kuwabara blinked. "Say what? All she did was make some weird hand movement and then leave him alone." Suddenly, everyone else's eyes were on the redhead. He blinked again. "What?" "Do you remember what kind of gesture?" asked Hinageshi urgently, her blue eyes troubled. Kuwabara scratched his head. "Not really…" The others sighed in disappointment and frustration, then looked back at Hiei. "What exactly IS wrong with him?" asked Botan, frowning slightly. "Illusion spell, a very complex one. I think she's trapped him in his own mind. I'm afraid we may be vastly below their skill," replied Kurama, giving the shorter demon a slight shake. Of course, it still didn't do anything. "Nothing I did worked," whispered Yukina. She looked at the two Ferry Girls. "Can you do anything?" "Illusion…and mind…? As a matter of fact, I think I might be able to," said Botan, looking determined. Stooping slightly and staring the Youkai directly in the eye, she placed a hand gently on his forehead. Her hand glowed a light blue color, which somehow managed to make Hiei's clouded eyes stand out in sharp relief. After a tense minute or so, he seemed to snap out of it, before slowly closing his eyes and slumping down in Kurama's arms. Botan rubbed her hand slightly, a frown on her face. "That's the best I can do. It's not much, and I'm not even sure if I got him totally back. My Reiki isn't powerful enough to counter Hiyoru's Youki, and I was afraid that I would end up hurting Hiei with it, too."

            The trance-like state that had once again fallen over the group was broken by a sudden thud. Those conscious spun around in the direction of the noise, only to find that Yusuke had fallen over in a dead faint. Hinageshi blinked and stared. "Blood loss," she said. "We need regroup somewhere, I think." "Normally we used to do that at this temple," noted Kurama quietly. "But for this occasion, I suppose that my house will have to do." 

*pokes her dead Furby in a morbid sort of way* I am the president of Procrastinator's Anonymous. All meetings have been postponed. 

*blinks* Wow, that was bad. *continues poking Furby* Anyway, the point is, I am a procrastinator. *sigh* Woe is me. For no one is reading this story. And now no one ever will! *sob* HOPEFULLY, it will be updated quickly next time. Oy… My life. What a waste of space.

Furby: Poo-tah! Dance, boogie!

*screams* IT'S ALIVE!!!!!! DON'T LET IT GET MEEEE!!!!!!!!! *screams bloody murder and runs off*

Furby: Nyah nyah. Pansy. *runs back in* Ciao. *pokes Furby*

Furby:*dies* Dammit, not again.


	3. Musings and Recovery

Furby: You are so pathetic.

*sobs* Shut up! Who asked you? You're just a stupid FURBY!

Furby: Ah, but I'm right. Poo-tah.

*flips through ancient Furbish-English dictionary* 'Die'?

Furby: Yup.

Oh dear spork, why did you have to get resurrected? *brightens* But not even evil great as you can dampen my mood! Cause guess what people? WATCH OUT WORLD, CAPRI'S ARMED! With knowledge that is. I have seen all of the almighty series, in all its almighty glory! Sure, the subtitles sucked ass, but what can you do? *sobs with happiness* Those were the happiest 48 hours of my life. But down to business. It has taken forever for me to get up a chapter…again. And I have lost the few wonderful reviewers I had…again. But here are my thanks anyway!

reign: Yes, I used your idea…did you ever doubt me? Wait…this is you I'm talking about. Of course you did. HOW COULD YOU?! But thanks for reviewing.

Hinooki Silvertail: You really liked it? Thank you! Every review boosts my nonexistent morale… (Furby: Self-pity gets you nowhere.) Shut up furby…

carla: THANK YOU! If you are actually still reading this (uber kudos if you are) thanks for not flaming. I love criticism! (I'm my own oxymoron) I hope this chapter lives up to your standards…I never had standards before…*sniffle* I really hope that my two villains don't turn out stereotyped, I'm sorry. And as for the episode with Zeru…well, I missed that when I first started writing this. So, thanks!

Lauren: YAY, I'm glad you liked it, especially considering how good your writing is. And as for the bit about Hiei…you know where that battle will lead.

LaUrEn*321: Hehe, thank you soooo much and I hope your furby doesn't kill you. ALL HAIL KELPIES!

*bows* Again, thank you people sooooooo very much. I'd give you something except that after buying the series I'm virtually broke! I'm so stupid. Obsession is not healthy. Eh, oh well, here's chapter three.

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to a nice man in Japan. I'm an evil girl in USA. If you have a brain, kindly use it.

Chapter Three: Musings and Recovery

            Hiyoru dabbed delicately at a shallow cut just below her eye. "We are soooo in for it, aren't we, Kata-chan?" "Most likely," agreed her partner, wrapping a bandage around her midriff. Hiyoru frowned and stuck a strand of hair in her mouth. "Y'know," she said, chewing on it pensively. "I didn't expect that much from a little ol' human. They did pretty well." "They did exceptionally well," Katana replied. "And let it be said that I did try to warn you." Hiyoru sighed. "Can't ya just say 'I told you so' like a normal individual?" "…No." Hiyoru's eye twitched. "Whatever. Hmm, I can indeed see why the Spirit World bothered choosing them. Powerful… That old lady was really scary, too. Maaaaan, I reeeeeally thought she was gonna kill me for a minute there. If you hadn't stepped in when you had, that could have been the end of me!" "Makes me wonder why I bothered cutting in," mumbled Katana sullenly. Hiyoru grinned. "Awww, you don't hate me THAT much!" She snapped her fingers. "By the way, how many more do you need?" Katana held up a single finger. Hiyoru's eyes were positively dancing with delight. "Only one more and the real game begins? Oh, this is gonna be FUN!"

            Botan leaned against the wall and sighed, rubbing her hand again. Beside her, Hiei did not stir. 'I just hope that what I'm doing is hurting Hiyoru's magic, not killing Hiei instead.' She and Kurama had agreed to take shifts on healing the demon; Yukina and Hinageshi were aiding Yusuke, who had fortunately regained consciousness a half an hour ago. Kuwabara had decided to go home, promising to be back the next morning. Luckily for the team, 'Shuichi's' mother had ended up needing to go on a business trip, and would be gone for the rest of the week. Kurama had declined the offer to join her, using the excuse that he wished to keep up with his studies. So, the Reikai Tantei could do as they pleased in the house. Botan glanced back over at Hiei. 'Kurama said he didn't see any improvements. I don't either. Oh dear, I hope this is really working. We can't afford to lose a team member, not with Meikai back in the game.'

            Hiei moaned softly in his sleep, causing Botan to jump in surprise. 'Well, that's the most he's done in the last three hours,' she thought, breathing hard. She peered down at him. 'Aw, he looks almost cute in his sleep. You'd never guess that he's a warped sadistic telepath who's threatened me about fifty times.' She shuddered slightly. 'Yeesh, I will never blab out another secret again, thanks to him. I think I'm traumatized.' She absently brushed his bangs away from his face, then settled back against the wall again. 'I never met Hiyoru or Katana before…if I recall correctly, they only became Ferry Girls about fifty years before the Netherworld was sealed away. We know next to nothing about them. But they seem deadly…' Unnoticed by her, Hiei had begun to stir slightly. He suddenly shot up in the bed and looked around in alarm. Botan had been far from expecting that, and screamed—almost directly in his ear. Hiei glared at her. "Where the hell am I?!" he snapped at her. "I…uh…well…Kurama…" The poor Spirit Guide could not find the courage to even squeak out a comprehensive answer, but he'd already gotten up and was on his way out of the room. Scream in my ear like that again, Ferry Girl, and I can promise you pain like you've never felt before in your life, he stated flatly via telepathic link. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving a hyperventilating Botan all alone in the room. 'Well, I think it's safe to say that HE'S not a morning person.'

            Kurama stood outside, his hair fluttering slightly in the soft evening wind. 'An illusionist, and a death sword user. I suppose you could expect nothing less from Meikai. What troubles me more is that their mistress has yet to make an appearance. Yakumo had shown up quickly enough. I wonder why Sadako doesn't do the same?' "Does something trouble you, my dear Kurama-kun?" murmured a voice quietly into his ear. The speaker ran her fingers softly through the kitsune's hair. He jumped and spun around. "Hi—Hiyoru?!" The silver-haired demoness smiled, putting a finger to her lips. "Shh. I will not harm you, my fellow fox. Not yet. I only want to talk." Kurama glared at her, bright green eyes wary. She laughed. "I don't expect you to trust me. In fact, it would be better for you if you did not. But…" she sighed, a faraway look in her eyes. "It's been so long since I've had another Silver Fox to talk to. Another Youko."

            She looked at him expectantly. He said nothing. She frowned a little. "We won't be as easy to defeat as the three Demon Gods were. They were an arrogant bunch. I think that King Yakumo vastly overestimated their talents. Not to mention, Katana has that sword of hers. She's a very smart demoness with a very powerful weapon. That sword can do it all. Steal souls…grant death…resurrect whomever the user chooses… And it's in the hands of a Shinobi spiritualist. Think of the possibilities. Oh, and by the way, I'd tell that fire demon friend of yours—what's his name? Hiei? If he recovers, I think you should tell him to keep a closer eye on his dear twin—family is always the weak point of a strong warrior, ne?" Kurama froze in shock. 'How does she know? How CAN she know?' "What did you do to Hiei, anyway?" he asked finally. "Oooh, the great Kurama finally graces me with a sentence! You need not worry—I merely let him see what he wanted to see…whether he himself realized it or not. And my inverse seems to be doing a decent job at curing him. I wouldn't be surprised if he regained consciousness within the next few minutes." She gave him a coy smile and jokingly checked an imaginary watch on her wrist. "Oh dear, I'm all out of time. Tell the others I said 'hi'." Before he could do anything, she'd leaned in and given him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Save the last dance for me, Kurama-kun," she whispered almost seductively in his ear. Another slight wind stirred, and she was gone, leaving the other kitsune alone with his troubled thoughts.

            "LET ME GOOOO!!!! I HAVE RIGHTS, YOU KNOW!!! YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP ME IN HERE FOREVER!! I'M FINE! FULLY HEALED!!! NOW LET ME OUT OF HERE SO I CAN FIND THOSE TWO MEIKAI CREEPS AND BLAST THEIR FRIGGIN' HEADS OFF!!!!!" Yukina and Hinageshi both sweatdropped and smiled nervously at one another. "Yusuke…?" asked Hinageshi timidly. "Um…you need to rest a little. You aren't entirely healed yet." Yusuke glowered at her. He was currently tied to his bed by the sheets (courtesy of Hinageshi), with the knots frozen as an extra precaution (courtesy of Yukina). "Oh yeah, and this is real restful." "Well…you WERE trying to escape," countered Yukina. "Yep, and I still am. So let me go before I decide to blow apart this entire room." Hinageshi pointed a finger at him. "There's no bluffing me, Yusuke. I've been studying my stuff and I know for a fact that you have absolutely no Reiki left." A vein popped out as he continued to strain futilely against his bonds. "I…hate…you…"

            The door opened and Botan popped her head in. "Well, I've had the scare of my life and some time on my hands, so I thought I'd stop by and see how you're all do--" She suddenly processed the scene in front of her eyes and paused. "Um…am I interrupting something?" Yusuke gave her an icy glare, and Yukina and Hinageshi simultaneously sweatdropped again. "…No…" "Would you get me the hell out of here, Botan?" pleaded Yusuke, giving the bed-sheets a slight tug. "I've got places to be, Meikai demons to get revenge on." "No, Yusuke, I will not," said Botan, uncharacteristically stern. "If both Hinageshi and Yukina are so set on having you rest awhile, you obviously should. They are, after all, the authorities on healing." The boy gave her an unnervingly rabid-sounding growl, but said no more. "Botan, weren't you supposed to be watching Hiei?" asked Hinageshi curiously, cocking her head to the side. "Yeah, well, he woke up, and from the heart-stopping scare and random death threats he gave me, I would say that he's back to normal." "Oh, sure, let HIM walk around freely," complained Yusuke from the bed. "But when I want to get up, it's all flewy-dewy." Botan face-faulted. "First of all, Yusuke, Hiei wasn't physically injured at all, secondly, when you run out of Reiki, you don't have a scary katana blade to fall back on and threaten to decapitate people with, and thirdly, in his case, there's a one to three chance that he may actually DO it." The Spirit Detective twitched slightly. "Gotta get that creepy personality…" Botan frowned. "And what in the world is 'flewy-dewy'?"

            Kurama stood alone in silence. 'Hiyoru…seems to enjoy fun toying with people…' His fingers lightly touched his cheek, where she had kissed him. 'She must have been awfully confident, to come and tell me all of that. What do they WANT? Are they really after the same thing as Yakumo, like they claim? Or do they have a different goal?' He shuddered slightly. 'And how could she possibly know about Yukina?' "Something on your mind?" He jumped, startled, and whipped around, almost ready for another Meikai demon to be standing there. It was indeed a demon, though of the Makai variety, not Meikai. Hiei was leaning rather casually against the doorway, his crimson eyes trained on Kurama. The kitsune breathed a sigh of relief. "So, you're up." "Hn." "Wonderful answer," said Kurama, smirking. Hiei's eyes got a little colder, as they always did when he was annoyed. "Is anything actually wrong, or are we just going to make smart-ass comments at one another the entire night?" Kurama's face darkened. "Hiyoru came." "Just now?" He nodded slightly. "Hiei…I don't know how…but Hiyoru knows about you and Yukina." Silence. "**WHAT**?!"

            Meanwhile upstairs, silence also filled Kurama's bedroom. Yukina, Hinageshi, and Botan had all finally become fed up with Yusuke's screams, and were now settled quite comfortably in a corner, playing cards and wearing earplugs. Yusuke remained on the bed, breathing hard from his efforts. His brown eyes gazed dully up at the ceiling. "Genkai," he murmured, remembering his teacher. He still couldn't believe she was gone. A single, solitary tear ran down his cheek and fell onto the pillow. He had to believe she was still alive. Had to. Yusuke wished he could wipe the tears falling from his eyes, but his hands were still restrained. Each seemed to follow its own path, trailing across his cheek in all directions and landing silently on the bed beneath him. Genkai...he couldn't believe she was gone. Forever. 'No,' he told himself. 'She's not gone...' but it was no use. He still knew deep down, in the darkest corner of his heart, that she was never coming back. He would never again hear her mocking remarks again - hell, he would never hear her voice again. Already, the picture he held of her face in his mind seemed to become dimmer, her memory fading.

            "No!" he cried out to no one. There was no one to hear him. Genkai...what would she think of him now? Would she want him to mourn her death as so? 'Probably not,' he thought bitterly. He was exactly what she had always called him in some way or another - an idiot. A soft at heart, good for nothing, slacking idiot. 'She's wrong. If she lived longer, she would know she's wrong...I'm better than she thought I was!' 'But,' said a cold, nasty voice from the depths of his mind, 'you couldn't save her then. You weren't strong enough then, when you needed to be - ' "SHUT THE HELL UP, ALREADY!" He literally exploded, ripping free of his restraints and hugging his knees to his chest. "Genkai…!" he sobbed to the ceiling, praying his cries could somehow be heard, he could at least hear her sarcastic voice one last time...

            There was a hand on his shoulder. "Yusuke." Yusuke didn't move, the tears flowing freely now, his body wracked with sobs. He didn't look up. He didn't have to. He didn't need to see Botan kneeling next to him, his own grief mirrored in her eyes. He didn't need to see Hinageshi or Yukina, hovering nearby. He didn't need their pity. Hell, he would have given his left arm to have someone like Hiei or Kurama or Kuwabara there right now. Someone who would beat some sense into him. Someone who would realize the necessity of the Netherworld's defeat and make him snap out of it. But oh well, he was stuck in room full of sympathetic women. Yay. Life sucks.

            Hiei listened to the screams coming from the second floor. "Well. Looks like someone's snapped again." He noticed the reproachful glare Kurama was giving him and rolled his eyes. "We can't afford sentimentality at the moment, now can we?" "Don't blame Hiyoru's knowledge on Yusuke's grief—" "I'm NOT!" Hiei snapped, then tried to calm down. Not an easy thing to do. Both of them had remained silent after Kurama's announcement, but Hiei was calculating. The enemy obviously knew where and how to hit them. Genkai's death, Hiei's illusion, Hiyoru's threat…these weren't your average adversaries. But what to do? They had no idea when Meikai would strike next. "The Meikai Power Sphere," Kurama said quietly.

            Hiei jumped. "Nani?" "The Sphere. They need it. Koenma said that it hadn't been destroyed, and if they had it why would they bother paying us a visit? They're looking for it. All we need to do is find it first. Then they will come to us." "Somehow I doubt it will be that simple," the jaganshi snorted derisively. "You have no idea…" murmured Kurama. He noticed Hiei staring at him. "I get the feeling that there's something we're missing. Something that they need, something that Yakumo and his minions had that they don't…" "…But you don't know what it is," Hiei finished. Kurama shook his head despairingly. "Precisely. All we can do now is contact Koenma about the Sphere and see how this plays out." "Hn…" Hiei stared quietly into the darkness. "But what if there's more to it than that?" Kurama noticed his pensive gaze and suddenly remembered Hiyoru's words. _"You need not worry—I merely let him see what he wanted to see…whether he himself realized it or not."_'What did you see, Hiei?' he asked himself, knowing that the other would never tell him.

            The fire youkai's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Contact Koenma," Hiei commanded, almost as pushy as he had been back in the days of their partnership in stealing the Treasures of Darkness. Kurama gave him a steady glare, but he was actually rather amused by the other's personality change. "And what will you be doing?" "Snapping Yusuke out of this idiotic phase he's in." This somehow furthered the kitsune's amusement and now it was beginning to show, much to the annoyance of a certain shorter demon. But the youko would not volunteer information, and the other was too dignified to ask, so after a moment or so of this strange, silent exchange a blur of black headed in the direction of the second story window and one of violet streaked toward Reikai, and the first plan of the Tantei in this little war of worlds was put into action.

            Hiyoru prodded at the map disinterestedly. "At least the other sites were less blatantly obvious," she sighed. "So, all we need to do is steal a little something from each of these places and life is good once we find the Sphere? Doesn't sound TOO hard. Plus there's the added entertainment of you getting your final ingredient. Fun fun fun!" "Would it be too much to ask for you to just SHUT UP?" Katana muttered sullenly. "Touché," Hiyoru murmured, looking at her sullenly. She stared at the ceiling. "Do you think the Tantei can beat us?" Katana blinked. "You worry?" "Sometimes. I have a good reason." "Perhaps…we shall see when the time comes." The youko sighed. "I guess you're right. Oh well… Win or lose, the game shall be interesting, ne?"

PROCRASTINATION IS EVIL AND MUST BE ELIMINATED!!!! Along with furbies. And writer's block. Ooooh yes, can't forget about the writer's block. *pokes chapter* I hope someone somewhere enjoys this. I shall write faster this time! I shall!

Furby: Liar.

Can it. Okay, I shall TRY to write faster this time! I shall! So, uh, read and review! Yeah, that's it. Oh, and ideas are very welcome, because this story has a general direction but no road map. Ciao!


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